30 July 2012

Smoked salmon gratin dauphinoise

I don’t think I’m being immodest by saying that generally I’m an upstanding kind of guy. But every so often I like to go off the rails, I like to do something bad, wrong and downright dirty. Usually that involves food.

Gratin dauphoinise is one of those dishes I love to eat but can never justify ordering, let alone making it because of the stodge. That is until someone leads me astray and tells me I can make it. Well if I’m told I can do something then that’s fine isn’t it? According to Supper Club, Kerstin Rodgers' (aka Ms Marmitelover) book and host of The Underground Restaurant, her salmon dauphoinise is a perfect summer dish. Well that’s perfect because it’s summer - if served with a salad - it’s healthy - and a glass of crisp white wine - for essential lubrication, obviously. So I am easily led astray.

I served this as a main course on just such a wet, summer’s evening, with a salad of baby spinach leaves and a walnut oil dressing (walnut oil, white wine vinegar, diced garlic, salt and pepper). I fear though that following it with Eton Mess might have been a bit too much cream for one night.

I should say, I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit. She recommends it being no more than three layers deep, I did about five in my favourite dish. I also used a bit more smoked salmon than she recommends. In her recipe she says 250g, I ended up using 300g.

Serves 4 as a main-course (you could however serve it as a side)

4 large baking potatoes (e.g. Maris Pipers or King Edwards)

1 clove of garlic

Butter

300g smoked salmon

2 fresh bay leaves

600ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180C. I’d recommend sitting the dish you are using for this recipe in a roasting tray or similar. If it spills in the oven, it can get messy.

Peel the potatoes, then slice them very thinly - I use a mandoline. Alternatively, if you’ve got a food processor there’s a good chance it comes with a slicing blade.

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Sounds very tasty, I would like to see how you made it, but great post. :)